Hi Friends! I’ve neglected to tell you all that I’ve moved all my writing stuff (including this blog) to my author website: meaganmacvie.com. I’ve already posted about the new site and the challenges of publishing my upcoming novel, The Ocean in My Ears. This move was necessary because I was drowning. I couldn’t maintain all … Continue reading
Small Acts of Civility
Because the world can be a jaded place. Continue reading
In Search of the Perfect Card for Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood’s themes of survival, images of the body, and the implicit questions about what it means to be female reached inside me and shook me. Slowly, on the cusp of twenty years old, I began to wake from a dark, oblivious sleep. Continue reading
Agonizing Toward Publication
I was all dreamy over Ooligan Press after pitching my book at the 2016 Write to Publish Conference. Then this happened… Ooligan’s amazing Acquisitions Editors, Molly and Bess, emailed in March that they were excited about Conspiring to be Meri and wanted to pitch the novel to their executive committee. I had no idea what that meant, but … Continue reading
Ooligan Dreams
My friend Karen and I road-tripped to Portland last month. We stayed in a skanky-ish hotel, and what we saved on lodging we spent on food. Totally worth it. We also went to Ooligan Press‘ Write to Publish conference at Portland State University. Here’s what I learned: 1.) I suck at driving in Portland, 2.) everything at Andina is delicious, … Continue reading
All the modern things: a cautionary tale
I did a big dumb thing today. Bigger than regular, I mean. Today was busy. I’m still adjusting to my new job–this is week four–and every day my brain is rapidly recording new names and faces, the organization’s processes and systems, and all the little things: how to make the printer staple, where the bathrooms are on each floor, … Continue reading
God Thoughts
Originally posted on Hot Pink Underwear:
I’ve been thinking about God lately. I imagine a guy enamored with model trains, spending all his time in the basement painting tiny evergreen trees and rail cars carrying fake coal and those yellow and black striped crossing signs. The Big Engineer knows every detail of the goings on in Train…
How Disney’s Magic Kingdom is like Publishing
I try not to make a habit of wanting things, especially the desire-in-my-loins-can’t-sleep-until-I-have-it kind of want. Because wanting something THAT bad creates the possibility of profound disappointment, and like most humans, I’m averse to being let down. Take my recent trip to Florida. I kept my expectations for Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter in check—that portion of the vacation was … Continue reading
The Theory of Brilliance
I’ve come to greatly admire my daughter’s cello teacher. The woman is unrelentingly positive. And good at playing cello. During the teacher’s lesson my daughter’s fingers move deftly over the cello’s four strings, as if under a spell, and I’m shocked at how the sounds often don’t match those made at our house. I don’t know squat about playing an instrument, but I … Continue reading
Because I’m selfish and want to feel thankful
Things are happening in my country. Bad and probably good things, but mostly big and heavy and hard to carry things. Everyone’s “taking a stand,” posting rants and heartfelt messages and quoting dead people. A few are actually doing something—walking in marches and holding candles. But not me. I’m just sitting here grinding my gears. Today, I’m … Continue reading
On Flying
A show about planes aired on PBS last night. Images of early wood-and-canvas aircrafts flashed on the screen. A black-and-white still of a World War I general. The narrator’s deep voice captured the general’s sentiment without irony: These flimsy flying contraptions have no place in battle! One hundred years later, the general seems so distant. … Continue reading
MELT: An Interview with Selene Castrovilla
I’m seriously so excited for Selene Castrovilla’s new YA novel, Melt, to come out next month (November 6). If only I could fly to NY for the launch party…or maybe if I had a pair of ruby slippers? Back in February, I met Selene at the AWP conference in Seattle. She was this smart, sassy … Continue reading
The foulest of today
I’m in a real temper. Little things have piled up–solicitors and criminals and things that need fixing–such that I’m completely hair-pulling-unable-to-cope-with-life mega angry AAAAAAAAAH! But I don’t need to punch or overpower or behead anybody, right? I can just slump over, make my ugly face, and tell you. Ahem. Today’s List of Foul Stuff My broken-in-half pear tree … Continue reading
Dear Universe, Thanks for the Sunrise
Dear Universe, Thanks for this morning’s eye-burning sunrise because when we got into the car, Only was like, “I’m so cold I feel like I’m naked in a snowbank,” even though it’s fifty degrees outside and she’s wearing a flannel, but because middle school is the Land of Extremes, she clacks her teeth, blasts the air, and splays her … Continue reading
Jimmy James Blood: An Interview with Missy Anne
Hello again, pretty blog people! The other day I met up with independent author Missy Anne Peterson at a local hotspot where they serve a mean tofu and egg English muffin sandwich and asked her questions about her debut novel, Jimmy James Blood, a dark story about a rough group of teenagers growing up in a twisted rural … Continue reading
So yeah, I’ve been writing this book…
Not that I need an excuse to blow shit off, but blogging (re: my lack of) has taken a back seat to this whole novel-writing thingy. I go to sleep thinking about my Other World and my People. I wake up all itchy to know what’s happening with them. Kinda like when I was in … Continue reading
Fault Line: An Interview with Christa Desir
Forever ago I interviewed Carrie Mesrobian about her fabulous debut (released October 2013), and I’m thrilled to report that both readers and critics are gaga over Sex and Violence. Now go buy it. Thanks to Carrie, I had the chance to gab with another fantastic debut author this week. Christa Desir’s novel Fault Line (which just came … Continue reading
Writer Girls Who Make Me Scream
Today I wanna celebrate. Partly because I’m sick of my own Sad Sackery, but mostly because there are so many amazing writer girls in my world and I WANNA SCREAM ABOUT THEM! So I’m gonna. Course I’m psyched that Alice Munro won the 2013 Noble Prize in Literature, and I love that she’s willing to share her … Continue reading
Finding a way back
Last night I was telling my husband why I’ve been such a bitch lately. I get lost, see. I get sad and lonely and feel unworthy. Then I do bad things. Yesterday I didn’t want to use the internet at my house because we were on the verge of going over our gig limit. (I like … Continue reading
Rescuing isn’t really what we do.
“Waah! OooRaaaah!” A lost child was crying somewhere near our bus stop. My daughter’s head was swiveling. I wanted to keep walking. I didn’t want to get involved. These situations are never what they seem. “There! In that tree!” She pointed to a thick branch about thirty feet overhead in a fir tree. A cat, grayer than the … Continue reading
I met a blogger in real life
Growing up, my dad liked ferreting out individuals who routinely made decisions that resulted in terrible consequences. Like when a co-worker started dating a man who had “unfairly been sent to prison” or when the neighbor guy invested his savings in Amway. “Sure, they’re book smart, but they don’t have an ounce of good sense.” … Continue reading
Delirium Delirium
NEWSFLASH: The hottest book club in America–the Girls on Fire Summer Book Club–has started meeting again. True to form, the girls were on fire Friday to rant about the non-ending ending of Requiem, Lauren Oliver’s “conclusion” to the Delirium trilogy. We also chose the cast of the movie version (see our picks below). You’re welcome, … Continue reading
Hot Pink Underwear 